Zoelle Gia Bellen was the first newborn in Abbotsford, born at 12:42 a.m. on Jan. 1 at the Abbotsford Regional Hospital to mother Rizza Bellen, father Gary Bellen and sister Zyra. Gary Bellen/Submitted photo

“The doctor was laughing, because it was so fast,” Gary said. “At 12:30 we arrived in the hospital. The moment we came out of the elevator, she was shouting that the water broke, and she felt that it was coming. She just laid on the floor, and then the nurse just rushed to her and put her in the wheelchair. And yeah, at 12:42 the baby came out.”

Zoelle’s sister, Zyra, was not such a hasty birth – Bellen says his wife was in labour for eight hours before Zyra was born.